The once-impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open

PARIS – When a weary David Ferrer managed to win just five games in his French Open semi-final loss to Rafael Nadal in 2012, he was in no doubt over the enormity of the challenge.

“Winning a match against Rafa at Roland Garros is almost impossible,” he declared.

It would have been no consolation to the gritty Spaniard that at least he won one more game than Roger Federer managed in the 2008 final against his compatriot.

On the crushed red brick in Paris, hardly anyone has laid a glove on the “King of Clay”.

Since his swashbuckling title-winning debut in the French capital in 2005, Nadal has racked up 14 titles, winning 112 matches and losing just three.

Two of those defeats were by Novak Djokovic – in the last eight in 2015 and semi-finals in 2021. Sweden’s Robin Soderling had been the first in 2009 to beat Nadal, who avenged that last-16 loss 12 months later in the final.

In 2005, when he won the French Open at his first attempt, he was just two days past his 19th birthday.

Nadal will turn 38 on June 3 and few would bet against him despite his age, but recent injuries could shatter his dream of a likely farewell triumph at his favourite Grand Slam before he retires.

Incredibly, in his 115 matches at Roland Garros, he has been pushed to five sets on only three occasions.

He won all three.

“With Rafa on clay in best of five, it’s like a war,” said his coach Carlos Moya.

But the great Spaniard, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, has played only 15 matches since January 2023 as he struggled with a hip injury and then a muscle tear.

Fitness would be key, especially when he is up against Germany’s world No. 4 Alexander Zverev in the first round as the French Open gets under way on May 26.

“I’m going to play the tournament thinking that I can give my all, 100 per cent,” said Nadal.

“And if 100 per cent is not enough to win a match, I’ll accept that. But I don’t want to step onto court knowing that I have no chance. If there’s a 0.01 per cent chance, I want to explore that and give it a go.”

At his first training session on Court Philippe Chatrier at the beginning of the week, an estimated 6,000 people turned up to watch, many chanting his name.

“We have to enjoy the time he has left on court... it’s very unlikely something like that will happen again. I like seeing the love he gets from the people when he steps on court. He’s one of the great stars of this sport. He’s about to retire and it’s really amazing to see that (support),” added Moya.

Nadal is not the only A-list talent under a Paris cloud, as defending champion and record 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic is enduring a title dry spell.

The 37-year-old Serb has lost his Australian Open title and has yet to make a final on tour this season.

On May 24, he was beaten by Tomas Machac 6-4, 0-6, 6-1 in the Geneva Open semi-finals. But, like Nadal, it would be premature to write off someone like Djokovic.

Between them, the legendary duo have carved up the last eight French Open titles while 2009 was the last time a final at Roland Garros did not feature at least one of them.

Djokovic has kept his feet firmly on the ground, saying: “I haven’t played well at all this year, so I don’t see myself as a favourite in Paris. I will try to take the matches one after the other.”

Meanwhile, world No. 2 Jannik Sinner, the man who succeeded Djokovic as Australian Open champion, has been laid low by a hip injury which caused him to skip the Italian Open in the build-up.

He reached the French Open quarter-finals on his 2020 debut, where Nadal beat him in straight sets.

Sinner has an extra incentive to progress deep in Paris as he could depose Djokovic as world No. 1.

Carlos Alcaraz, the Wimbledon champion, also skipped Rome to nurse an arm injury.

Perhaps it is time, a new star will rise – someone whose name is not Nadal, Djokovic and not even Sinner or Alcaraz. Someone unexpected, ready to seize the opportunity.

Roland Garros awaits. AFP, REUTERS